Mowing potato tops before harvesting is your key to a good harvest and successful winter storage!

Many novice gardeners, shortly before harvesting potatoes, ask the same question: "Do I need to mow the tops of potatoes before harvesting or leave everything as it is?"

We will answer right away: "Yes, it is highly recommended to cut the tops." Ultimately, however, it's up to you to decide.

Next, we will analyze what the mowing of potato tops gives, when and how to carry it out correctly.

When to cut potato tops

How do you know when it's time to cut the tops?

• Tops must turn slightly yellow and start to fade... If the stems are still green, then it is too early to mow.

As for the approximate dates, it is optimal to get rid of the potato tops about 2 weeks before harvesting, although some summer residents do this even earlier - about 10 days before digging the tubers.

And some gardeners also suggest focusing on the flowering of potatoes, namely, mowing a month after it.

By the way! About, how to tell if potatoes are ready for harvest (when to dig them out), you will find all the informationhere, a about the ways of its long-term storage - here.

Video: when to cut potato tops

Why cut potato tops

The answer is quite banal and obvious. The purpose of cutting the tops is to get a good harvest. It remains only to understand how this is achieved.

Interesting! There are certain elite potato varieties that require mandatory cutting of the tops before harvesting.

Well, everything is simple: the tops of potatoes form the crop of tubers before they ripen, and then she ages and at the same time is easily affected by various fungal diseases (late blight, stem nematode).

Important! Many believe that late blight comes to potato beds after rain and fog. In fact, this fungal disease is always present on the soil surface. If the weather is dry and sunny, the disease simply does not manifest itself. As soon as the humidity rises, it becomes more active.

Accordingly, if the weather is cloudy, rains, damp, the tops should be cut off without fail.

By the way! About, how to deal with late blight of potatoes, detailed in this article.

Thus, one ofthe main tasks solved by removing the haulm shortly before harvest, -this is to prevent the penetration of fungal spores into the ground and damage to the potato tubers themselves.

Another good reason to cut the tops before harvest is temperature drop (especially if, according to the weather forecast, frosts are expected soon), because this agrotechnical technique allows you to speed up the process of ripening tubers.

As mentioned earlier, mowing the tops can to some extent positively affect the acceleration of the ripening process of tubers, as well as the formation of thicker skinthanks to which the potatoes can be stored longer... In other words, it makes sense to mow the tops if you want to send potatoes for storage in the cellar.

Advice! On ways to store potatoes for a long time detailed in this material.

How to cut potato tops

Mowing tops, one should leave 10-20 centimeter hemp, by which later, when harvesting, it was convenient to determine where the bushes are.

The most convenient way to mow trimmer, but also scythe; and if there are few bushes, then even scissors.

Important! Obviously, if you completely cut off the tops, then you will be tortured to look for your crop, and in the process of digging, you will definitely damage some of the tubers.

What to do with the cut tops next

All cut tops (and even crumbling leaves) are recommended without fail take it out of the garden, dry it and be sure to burn it to avoid the spread of diseases (mushroom spores)!

Thus, now you know why some summer residents mow the tops of potatoes 10-14 days before harvesting. Try it yourself: experiment (bevel part, leave part and compare). Perhaps the results will please you, and you will advise this agronomic technique to your friends, acquaintances or other neighbors in the country.

Video: do I need to trim potato tops